web1_leh_nwl1_faa.jpg

PIAA Soccer: Lake-Lehman’s defense comes up big in 2A quarterfinal victory

Paul Sokoloski: They came together to make Wilkes-Barre Area’s first sports season a success

<p>Both Wilkes and Misericordia come into the men&#8217;s basketball season needing to replace players that were among the best the MAC Freedom has seen in some time.</p><p>Misericordia lost the reigning two-time conference player of the year and former rookie of the year Jason Kenny to graduation while Wilkes needs to replace one of the conference&#8217;s best defenders and 1,500-point scorer Marcus Robinson. </p><p>The Colonels lost more than just Robinson. They also lost four other seniors, Connor Evans, Tommy Bowen, Clay Basalyga and Zach Walser.</p><p>&#8220;You hope that you can ride the coattails of your senior class,&#8221; Wilkes head coach Izzi Metz said. &#8220;You try to use them as leaders and catalysts for the things you do in your program.&#8221;</p><p>Rob Pecorelli and Mark Mullins, both all-conference players last season, return for the Colonels.</p><p>&#8220;Both can be in the running for player of the year in the conference. They are both that good,&#8221; Metz said. &#8220;They are both really good people, and guys gravitate toward them. Our younger players will look to them as the catalyst.&#8221;</p><p>The Colonels will need to fill the positions left open by their graduating seniors. Landon Henry is a clear candidate to take Evans&#8217; position at the point. He has played in 49 games in his first two years at Wilkes and has started in 16, including a MAC Freedom playoff game and multiple ECAC games.</p><p>Outside of Henry, the Colonels other players don&#8217;t have a whole lot of experience. Jack Bova, Donavan Breeding, Sean Coller and Drake Marshall all saw minutes last season but could be asked to increase their roles.</p><p>&#8220;There are players in the program that didn&#8217;t get to play a ton of minutes in the past because of the seniors we had that are now in a position to elevate their role,&#8221; Metz said. &#8220;Henry is the only guy from that group who has started some games when he filled in for Evans, but we have tried some different things in these first couple of scrimmages. The other positions we haven&#8217;t yet figured out. We need to evaluate the scrimmages and see how practices go.&#8221;</p><p>Wilkes was picked finish fourth in the MAC Freedom coaches poll behind DeSales, Eastern and Stevens. Last season, the Colonels finished the regular season in second place.</p><p>Misericordia also must move forward, but they will do it without the MAC Freedom&#8217;s best player over the last two seasons.</p><p>&#8220;There is no replacing a player like Kenny, we just have to depend on the whole [team] not one player,&#8221; Misericordia head coach William Chandler said. &#8220;We have a very good young group of guys mixed in with Tony Harding, Noah Rivera and Pat Douthit.&#8221;</p><p>On top of graduating Kenny, the Cougars will move forward without Tyrell Mann, Alec Rodway, Justin Iton, Brendan Leonard, Stone McCreary and Owen Clark.</p><p>&#8220;There is really nothing to build on from last year because we lost so many guys, and the year was a disappointment,&#8221; Chandler said. &#8220;We are starting fresh and just working hard every day.&#8221;</p><p>The Cougars will need to lean on the former rookie of the year in the 2016/2017 season and three-time all-conference player in Harding. Rivera is another returning starter that Misericordia will need to make an impact if the Cougars want to make another run at the MAC Freedom championship.</p><p>&#8220;We expect to compete for a conference championship this year and every year,&#8221; Chandler said.</p><p>The Cougars will also look to their freshman for an impact, including many former Wyoming Valley Conference players. Nanticoke Area&#8217;s Nate Kreitzer, MMI Prep&#8217;s Matt Marchetti and Nick Prociak and Collin Cook from Holy Redeemer area ll on the Misericordia roster.</p><p>Misericordia was picked to finish fifth in the MAC Freedom preseason coaches poll after finishing fifth last season.</p><p>King&#8217;s returns its entire team from last year with the exception of last year&#8217;s lone senior James Willis.</p><p>&#8220;Last season we had a very young team, but it afforded us the opportunity to play many of our younger players,&#8221; King&#8217;s head coach J.P. Andrejko said. &#8220;We are expecting that experience to carry over to this year. We are looking for a more mature and confident team that is ready to compete in the MAC Freedom Conference.&#8221;</p><p>Last season, the Monarchs had multiple young players show they were capable of being very good players. Jake Pawliczak received last year&#8217;s rookie of the year&#8217;s honors. He averaged over 11 points per game and just under seven rebounds per game.</p><p>&#8220;We are expecting a great deal from our four seniors, Tyler Millan, Andrew Hudak, Josh Bailey and Joe Lonardi. After being forced into a leadership role last year, they are more prepared to lead this year&#8217;s team,&#8221; Andrejko said. &#8220;They also have a great deal of game experience, so they know what to expect as we begin this year. Their solid and consistent play will make it easier for our other players.</p><p>&#8220;Two of the other players that we were expecting a great deal from to start this season were Pawliczak and Noah Tanner. Unfortunately, off season surgery for both players have delayed their returns.&#8221;</p><p>King&#8217;s, like Misericordia, adds multiple freshman that played in the WVC last season. Tyler Faux of Tunkhannock, Devin Rajza from Coughlin and Camden Boris and Sean Murphy both from Crestwood will suit up for the Colonels.</p><p>&#8220;Faux has had a very good preseason. His athleticism and scoring ability have had an immediate impact,&#8221; Andrejko said. &#8220;Murphy and Boris both come in with a solid basketball background and competitiveness which has helped them make the transition to college basketball a little easier.&#8221;</p><p>The Monarchs won just two conference games last year, resulting in a last-place finish in the MAC Freedom. They were selected to finish in seventh this season in the coaches poll, ahead of FDU-Florham.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_TTL021418CollegeHoops6.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Landon Henry returns for the Colonels this season. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_TTL021418CollegeHoops6.jpg</photo0><caption0>Landon Henry returns for the Colonels this season. </caption0><photoCredit0>AP photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ben Mandell</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div>

MAC Freedom men’s basketball: Colonels, Cougars have big shoes to fill; Monarchs want to continue to grow